Funk it up for a cause

American pianist Billy Joel once said, "Music is an explosive expression of humanity." These words ring true as Sitar Funk, a group of musicians spearheaded by noted sitarist Niladri Kumar, will perform at the Fusing For A Cause concert to raise funds for Marathwada's-drought affected villages. Of late, Beed, Jalna and Osmanabad have been facing a severe drought. The immense water scarcity has affected the lives of the locals to such an extent that they receive water only 20 minutes every week. Moreover, these villages have inadequate water storage facilities. Marathwada Parivar, a non-government organisation, has tied up with charitable organisation Mantra Foundation to supply plastic water tanks of 2,000 to 5,000 litres and build huge cement tubs to protect the cattle life in these districts.

Gino Banks

In order to raise funds for this endeavour, noted santoor player Satish Vyas' Pancham Nishad, a cultural trust, has organised a musical evening - Fusing For A Cause - wherein Sitar Funk will perform. Apart from Kumar, the group features the likes of Gino Banks (drums), Satyajeet Talwalkar (tabla), Sheldon D'Silva (bass guitar) and Agnelo Fernandes (keyboard).

Niladri Kumar

Music aficionados are for a fusion treat as Sitar Funk effectively blends Indian classical music with global music to create musical sounds that are seldom heard. Kumar, the son and disciple of sitar maestro Pandit Kartick Kumar, is famous for combining diverse Indian musical gharana styles with world music styles. The artiste, who has crafted the five-stringed instrument, the zitar, says, "Music is meant to touch the soul of the listener and the driving force is to aspire to maintain a fine harmony between tradition and modernity that is in sync with the sensibilities of a global audience. We will be performing a combination of Indian jazz and fusion rock."

When: April 25, 7:30 pm
Where: Shanmukhananda Auditorium, Sion
Call: 24078888
For online bookings log on to: www.bookmyshow.comu00a0